Oil burner for tobacco barns



' Nov. 4, 1924:b 1,513,910

J. A. JOHNSON v OIL BURNER FOR TOBACCO BARNS Filed Dec. 8, 1923 ,7a INVENTDR.

A TTORNE Y.

BY r

Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES ATNT OFFICE.,

JAMES A. JOHNSON, 0F DANVILLE, VIRINIA, TO VIRGINIA TOBACCO CURER COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION 0F VIRGINIA.

OIL BURNER FOR TOBACCO BARNS.

Application. filed December 8, 1923.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented certain new useful Improvements in Oil Burners for Tobacco Barns, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to heating apparatus, and Particularly t0- an @il burner for use in heating tobacco-curing barns.

To'bapco barns are ordinarily heated with wood or ycoal stoves or furnaces, and inasmuch as wood is getting scarce and coal is relatively hard to get and high-priced, it is becoming accordingly more costly and diiiicult to properly cure the tobacco. Furthermore, wood and coal burning stoves or furnaces s o used are very liable to produce sparks which set barns on fire.

In order to eliminate these difficulties, I have devised an oil burner which is particularly adapted for use within a tobacco barn, and the object of my invention is to provide an oil burner for use with this apparatus which is so constructed that the flame or jet directed from the nozzle of the burner may be discharged against a series of baffle members upon which the flame plays, these baffle members being so formed that they will prevent the immediate dissipation of the heat and the passage of the heat rapidly through the flues of the apparatus and will act to heat and secure an even distribution thereof such as is necessary in curing to bacco.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which the baffles may be readily adjusted and more or less of the baffles put in place or the baffles separated each other a greater or less distance t@ thus insulate the wenn@ of heat Within e@ barn-- another object to provide an apl -paratus of character in whichthe heat "from the burner is directed into flues which eater-d around through the bern these flues carrying `at intervals apertured, relatively thick, metallic disks which act toretard the passage of the. heat and which, by absorbing heat, tend to render the heat uniform throughout the entire barn and prevent its tee rapid disepatien- Seriell No. 679,449.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a top plan view of a tobacco barn, the walls being in section, showing my improvement applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the heater and vaporizer;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the vaporizer and the conica-l members mounted thereon; i Y

Figure e is, a fragmentary longitudinal horizontal section through themvaporizer, showing the bottom thereof;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the burner;

Figure 6 is a vertical section therethrough on the line 6 6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an end view of one of the baffles 26;

Figure 8 is an edge view of one of the baffles 26;

Figure 9 is an elevation of the fuel tank and compressed air tank;

In Figure l, I have illustrated diagrammatically a. tobacco barn A which, of course, may be of any suitable construction or character. Disposed within this barn at any suitable location, preferably adjacent one wall of the barn, is a casing 10 which may be .x

made of sheet metal or might be made of brick, tile or other suitable non-combustible material, this casing l0 having therein the burner, as will be later described, and having extending therefrom a flue ll. This flue 11 is illustrated as intersecting and opening into a cross flue l2 having arms 13 which extend parallel to the flue ll and on each side of the heater and extend to the exterior of the barn, where they are connected to stacks la. This is purely a diagrammatie illustration of the flues and it will be understood that the flues might extend anyvdesired directionthrough the barn and that there may be as "many branches from the flue ll as desired. course, the number of branches,the` length of the flues, etc., will depend upon the "size of the barn and the amount of tobacco which is to be cured therein.

lithin the casing l0 is disposed a burner comprising a relatively long and relatively narrow hollow member ,15 which is illus trated as approximately rectangular in cross section and has. generally speaking, the form of a covered trough, one end of this hollow member being upwardly and forwardly curved, ras at 16. The bottom of this ho-llow member is formed with transverse corrugat-ions 17 which may be of any suitable character, these corrugations merely acting to retard the flow of oil along the bottom of this trough-shaped member and spread the oil in a` thin film over the trough. I do not wish to be limited to the character of these corrugations 17. They may extend entirely across the bottom of the trough or the corrugations may be disposed in staggered relation. I

Entering the upper end of the portion 16 is a supply pipe 18 which extends from any suitable tank 19 which is so disposed as to cause the oil to flow through the pipe 18 and to be discharged into the upper' end of the vaporizing trough 15. The oil trickles down past the corrugations and in doing so is vaporized and gasiiied. F rom the opposite end of the trough 15 extends a burner pipe is connected a nozzle 21. This nozzle is oscillatably mounted upon the upper end of the supply pipe and is provided with a handle 22 upon the exterior of the casing whereby the nozzle may be directed upward or downward and held in any adjusted position by a bolt 20"L passing through the upper end of the supply pipe 20 and the nozf zle, the nozzle being rotatably mounted upon the side of the supply pipe.

Preferably the top of the vaporizing chamber or trough 15 has lateral fianges 23, and disposed between these flanges are the bases of a plurality of bafHe members 24. rlhe base of each baffle member has a length equal to the distance between the flanges 23, and extending upward from each base is a pluralityl of conical bosses 25. rThese .are relatively high. rlhe nozzle 21 is so formed as to direct the ignited jet issuing; therefrom against the baffles, and preferably the nozzle is disposed somewhat above the level of the apices of the conical baffles so that the jet may be discharged downward and forward and in a manner' to strike all of the baiiles lor only some of the ba-flles. These baffles become very highly heated and act to transmit heat to the vaporizing troudi 157 to diffuse the heat of the flame, an to secure more perfect come bustion than otherwise would be secured.

lThese baffles are adapted to be shifted along be shifted along the trough by simply inserting a` hook-shaped adjusting rod through the rearward end of the casing and shifting the baffles backward or forward along the upper wall of the vaporizing chamber. The lever 22 permits the nozzle to be directed either toward the apices of the several baffles or against the bases thereof and thus also the heatmay be regulated.

This heat is further controlled and prevented from too rapid dissipation and passage up the stacks by means of a. series of iron disks 26. These disks 26 'are relatively think and are apertured for the passage of the heat and products of combustion, and while the apertures permit the passage of the heat through the various iiues to the stacks ifi. the too rapid passage of the heat is impeded. and furthermore these disks retain the heat and hold it so that once the disks are heated, then even after the burner has been turned off entirely a certain degree of heat will be held withinthe bar. l regard this heat dissipation impeding means as of great value in the curing of toba.cco. supply pipe 20. To the upper end of this Y Preferably the fuel is fed to the burner by means of compressed air, and I have indicated for this purpose an air tank 27 which be filled with compressed air, as by means of a pump7 and which is co-nnected to the oil tank 19 above'the surface' that the tank holding oil might be disposed at av higher level than the burner, in which lcase the oil would feed by gravity to the i f e ne -oi ant is cis oser brrrer, but wher tl lt l l p l on the same level as the burner it is necessary that there should be a low pressure upon the surface of the oil in order to cause i the vaporizing chamber 15 and this will vaporize the oil therein. Then as the chambei' growshotter the flame may be directed against the baffles 244 and taken off the top of the vaporizing chamber. will communicate enough heat, however, to the vaporizing chamber to cause the vaporization of the oil therein. The ame'may be directed againstl all of thebaffles or against the. nearest bafilenor otherwise shifted and the bafli-es shifted so as to secure a perfect `regulation of the heat given out. rl`he battles cause the heat to be retained to a certain degree within the casing 10 and this heat is carried from the end of the casing bythe Hue These `baffles l ll to the i-ues 1 2 and 13. The dish-s y26, which constitute radiators and also check the too quick flow of the heated air, are disposed about two feet apart. TWithout these radiators at least one-half the heat would pass out of the barn very rapidly. IVhere coal or Wood burners have been used for the purpose of heating the barn, it has been necessary to have a good draft, but with a system of the character which I have described a draft is not necessary. Only suiiicient air is admitted to the burner to secure the full combustion of the oil and thus the heat can be held in the barn to any desired extent. In curing tobacco from 90o to 100o Il". is required for the first twenty-four hours. In finishing the curing it is necessary that the heat should be run up from 20,00 to 225O I". This heat may be regulated by controlling the disposi.- tion of the baffles 2 4 and also by controlling the discharge of jet from the nozzle 2l by means of thel needle valve 29. Obviously if it is not desired to cause the flame to play upon a large number of baffles these may he shifted awa-y from the flame and the flame allowed to play only on a relatively small number.

A. trough 30 is disposed upon the floor of the heating chamber 10, the trough carrying a wick which is adapted to be soaked in kerosene in order that initial heat may be applied to the burner. Preferably the rear end l()a of the casing is entirely removable so as to permit the removal or replacement of the generating apparatus, this rear well l()CL being provided with means whereby access may be had to the valve handle 22 and means whereby air may be supplied to the interior of the chamber l0, this means being illustrated as a pivoted door 3l and a rotatable damper 32. @bviously I do not wish to be limited to these details.

I claim l. In an apparatus of the character describer, a vaporizing burner comprising` a longitudinally extended chamber having a top, the chamber being so formed as to cause liquid fuel to flow from one end of the chamber toward the other, a burner pipe leading from the end of the chamber toward which the liquid fuel flows and receiving vapor from the chamber, a nozzle mounted upon thel burner pipe and directed longitudinally of the chamber, and a series of baffle members supported upon the upper wall of the chamber in the path of movement of the flame issuing from the burner pipe.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a vaporizing burner comprising a longitudinally extended chamber having a top, t-he chamber being so formed as to cause liquid fuel to flow from one end of the chamber toward the other, a burner pipe leading from the end of the chamber toward which elongated chamber having a top, one end ofy the chamber being higher than the other end, means within the chan'iber for impeding the flor; of oil toward the lower end of the chamber, means for feeding oil into the upper end of the chamber, a burner pipe 'leadfrom the other end of the chamber and receiving vapor therefrom, and a nozzle mounted upon said burner pipe and. clischa v g the flame down-ward against the top o he vaporizlng chamber.

In an apparatus of th-e character ldescribed, a vaporizing burner comprising an elongated chamber having a top, one end of the chamber being higher than the other end, means within the chamber for impeding the flow of oil toward the lower end of the chamber, means for feeding oil into the upper end of the chamber, a burner pipe leading from the other end of the chamber and receiving vapor therefrom, a nozzle mounted upon said burner pipe for oscillation in a vertical plane and having a controlling valve, means for oscillatably adjusting the nozzle to discharge the flame downward against the top of the vaporizing chamber and control the angle of the flame, and a series of baiiie members supported upon the upper wall of the vaporizing chamber and shiftable independently of each other along the top of the vaporizing chamber toward or from the nozzle and against which the flame from the nozzle may be directed.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a vaporizing burner comprising a trough-shaped chamber having a top, one end of the chamber being upwardly turned, the bottom of the chamber being formed with oil-diffusing corrugations, a pipe leading from a source of supply into tie upper end of said chamber and discharging oil thereinto, a burner pipe leading from the other end of the chamber and receiving vapor therefrom, a nozzle mounted upon said burner pipe for oscillation in a vertical plane and having a controlling valve means whereby the nozzle may be oscillated to discharge the flame downward against the top of the vaporizing chamber or discharge the flame in an approximately hori- Sil t! Il zontal plane, and a series of baille members supported upon the upper wall of the vaporizing chamber and shiftable independently therealong and against which the flame may be directed.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a vaporizing burner comprising a trough-shaped chamber having a. top, one end of the chamber being upwardly turned, the bottom of the chamber being formed with oil-diffusing corrugations, a pipe leading from a source of supply into the upper end of said chamber and discharging oil 'thereinto, a burner pipe leading from the other end of the chamber and receiving vapor therefrom, a nozzle mounted upon said burner pipe for oscillation in a vertical plane and having a controlling valve, means whereby the nozzle may be oscillated to discharge the flame downward against the top of the vaporizing chamber or discharge the llame in an approximately horizontal plane, a series of baille members supported upon the upper wall of the vaporizing chamber and shiftable independently therealong and against which the flame may be directed, said baiiles each comprising a base extending transversely of the vaporizing chamber,

and a series of conical projections formed upon eachbase.

7. In an apparatus of thel character described, a casing, a longitudinally extending, hollow, vaporizing chamber disposed in the casing and including a bottom wall and a top wall, the interior surface of thev bottom wall being transversely corrugated and one end of the vaporizing chamber being turned upward, a supply pipe discharging into the upper end of the vaporizing chamber, a burner pipe extending upward from the other end of the vaporizing chamber and taking vapor therefrom, a nozzle Vmounted upon said last named pipe for oscillation in a vertical plane, a handle mounted upon the exterior of the chamber whereby the nozzle may be oscillatably adjusted, and a series of baille plates mounted upon the upper wall of the chamber and shiftable independently therealo-ng and against which the flame may be caused to play, each baffle plate comprising a base, and a plurality of extending bosses on the base.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiFiX my upwardly i signature.

JAMES A. JOHNSON.v 

